The Henson Journals

[193]

Tuesday, October 5th, 1926.

I started work on an Article for the Bishoprick on "The passing of the Lord's Day?". It would be one means of separating myself from the Sabbatarians while making a stand for the Lord's Day: and the subject is of far greater importance than is generally realized. If the disintegration of the English tradition of Sunday observance goes much further, the ecclesiastical system will be unable to function.

The Times has a painful Article headed "Game Preservation in E. Africa". It reports a recent lecture delivered before the Kenya & Uganda Natural History Society by Captain Keith Caldwell, the Acting Game–warden in Kenya.

"The Game Warden declared that the quickest way to wipe animals from the face of the earth was to commercialize their trophies, & he instanced the case of zebra as an example of the liability to abuse of special facilities. Issues of free ammunition were made to settlers in farming districts to enable them to reduce destructive herds of zebra, but it was found that zebra hides could be exported at a profit, the 'profit–killer', who is not the farmer, took advantage of the position to kill indiscriminately in non–settled areas, & 12,000 were killed in one area alone. Buffalo hides, used by the Kavirondo for making war shields, were also a source of profit, & both in the case of the zebra & the buffalo the 'profit–killer' from a safe position, fired volleys into herds, caring nothing about the number of wounded animals allowed to escape. He also expressed the opinion that if slaughter of game for meat supplies continued to be allowed on Crown land there would be no game at all in four or five years. He stated that the Department were now issuing six licences for each one granted formerly.

Sir John & Lady Barron arrived to dine & sleep.

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